Name: Christina Higham and fiance Daniel Kadvany Location: Outer Sunset — San Francisco, California Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting Daniel and I moved into our little beach apartment about three years ago—the location sold us immediately. It’s steps away from San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. This was our first home together so it was definitely an exercise in blending both of our styles and needs.

Name: Lesley Pocklington, partner Kevin, two kids aged 5 and 8, and a cat Named Mona Location: Peterborough — Ontario, Canada Size: 2,000 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Two years ago we packed up our family of four and moved to Peterborough when opportunity called. Kevin, an engineer and food scientist, was starting a new job at a historic oat factory. Lesley, a designer and small business owner, was apprehensive at first; but could pick up with her “mobile” career.

Two years ago my husband and I bought a small, unloved house in Benedict Canyon, fixed EVERYTHING, and made it beautiful with our collected treasures from around the world.

Name: Adrianne Herold, fiancé (Dylan) + our cat (Scavenger)! Location: Champaign, Illinois Size: 1,005 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting My fiancé (Dylan) and I have lived in this apartment for just under a year. We actually lived in a unit across the parking lot before here but we saw that they were doing some (faux) wood floorings in a few units and we asked to transfer to one! Our style evolved so drastically from our last apartment to this one.

Name: Neda Bajwa, my husband, Amir, our dog, Kiko, and our baby girl, Alaia Location: San Francisco, California Size: 750 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting Our home design combines mid-century mod, Moroccan, tropical, and glam all in one. It is a combination of black, white, marble, and brass touches throughout. You’ll notice pops of color such as emerald that tie into our tropical living plants brought all the way from our last L.A. home.

Name: Laura Merle Location: West Village — New York, New York Size: Around 500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting I love my apartment. It’s old. It’s a bit run-down. And it has almost all the New York charm you can possibly hope for (I sadly don’t have a fireplace…). I rented the place on a bit of a whim: A bad day at work meant that I was procrastinating online and found a listing for a two-bedroom place in the West Village for a not insane amount.

Name: Margaret Tudor and a roommate Location: Clinton Hill — Brooklyn, NY Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting I knew as soon as I walked into the apartment that it was a special spot. Unlike so many apartments in New York that have had the original details ripped out in favor of uniformity, this place is dripping in charm. I describe it as “petite but functional.” It has room for everything I need, but just enough.

Name: Craig Byers, my husband Justin Greer, and Buddy The Glamour Cat Location: Long Island City — Queens, New York Size: 820 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, owned Buddy the glamour cat has two dads. Justin is the dad who can never say no to Buddy. Justin used to be an actor in Broadway musicals, having been in nine shows over fifteen years.

Name: Diana Horton, my husband and daughter Location: Chattanooga, Tenneessee Size: 2,800 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, owned Last year, we packed up our South Carolina home and moved into a quaint, wooded ’70s charmer in Chattanooga without stepping foot into it before closing. It had good bones and was well taken care of, so we couldn’t pass it up. I immediately saw a vision of my family growing in this home with a large tree-lined backyard on a quiet street.

Name: Brit Arnesen, my husband Derek, daughter Sadie, son Theo, dog Lucy, and cat Sheena. Location: Kokomo, Indiana Size: 1,300 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned I’m a self-taught interior designer and avid DIYer who’s really into home decor. One room at a time, my husband, who’s a machinist, and I have turned a neglected ranch-style house into our family’s dream home, documenting the process along the way.

Name: Valeria Jacobs, my husband, three kids (two boys and a girl), and a minature pincher Location: Castro Valley, California Size: 1,400 square feet Years lived in: 10 months, renting We live in a cottage-style home. When we first saw the listing for rent I got a feeling that it was the house for our family. I fell in love with the big windows in the dining room, the hardwood floors, and overall it felt like a little home to us.

Name: Amanda J Franz and pup Milo Location: Portland, Oregon Size: 2,600 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, owned My name is Amanda Franz and I live in Portland, Oregon, with my Australian Labradoodle, Milo. I am a creative entrepreneur who owns the custom stationery company, Wide Eyes Paper Co. Wide Eyes specializes in hand-crafted wedding invitations and we ship all around the USA and internationally. I am an adventurous and curious 29-year-old surfer gal from sunny Southern California.

Name: Ashley Petrone, husband and three kids Location: San Jose, California Size: 1,392 square feet Years lived in: 4 months, owned Just four months ago, my family of five moved from southern California to northern California. We were living in an RV that I renovated on our land down before. We moved up north for a job transfer and it was fast! Within a few weeks we bought a house and renovated it. Our home was built in 1936 and has sweet Spanish charm! Curved windows, ceilings, and doorways.

Name: Shai Flax, my husband, our two dogs, and two cats. Location: Kiryat Tivon, Israel Size: 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting This is a rental home where I live with my husband, our two dogs, and two cats. This was my final project as a home stylist and it was challenging due to the fact that it’s a rental house so I had a lot of boundaries and I couldn’t do whatever I want. Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Colorful vintage eclectic home.

Name: Kara Brown, husband, three boys and a dog Location: Denton, TX Size: 3,000 square feet Years lived in: 4 years, owned My husband, Dave, and I met in college (University of North Texas—I was an art major and an RA for his sister!) We moved from an apartment to our first home in 2003. It was an 1,100-square-foot fixer upper where we had our three boys. We loved it but eventually began to outgrow the space and so in 2014 started house hunting and found our current home.

Name: Birgitte De Paepe, two dogs, and three kids Location: Rocbaron, France Size: 1,399 square feet Years lived in: 10 years, owned My house was built in the ’70s. I bought it in 2009 and completely renovated it from floor to roof, only keeping the old doors. The garage became the living room, the former kitchen and living room became bedrooms, and a new kitchen was added in an extension.

Name: Stephanie Edward, husband, Charlie, and daughter, Eve Location: Leoma, Tennessee Size: 1,800 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned After renting a few places with “character,” my husband, Charlie, and I finally bought our own home three years ago intent on having a place where everything functioned properly for a change and we could paint! It’s been fun making this house a home, and adding a baby into the mix.

Name: Giana Shorthouse Location: Ponce City Market — Atlanta, Georgia Size: 655 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting I live at the FLATS at Ponce City Market in Atlanta. Housed in a historic landmark originally constructed by Sears, Roebuck & Co. in 1926, each flat at Ponce City Market mimics the industrial modern aesthetic of the building with original features such as brick walls, tall ceilings, and expansive steel-frame windows overlooking the Atlanta skyline.

Name: Christina Thaisen, my partner, and our 2-year-old son Location: London, United Kingdom Size: 1,345 square feet Years lived in: 2.5 years, renting We moved into this old jam factory two and a half years ago because we instantly fell in love with the open plan space and all the light. The flat is situated in Bermondsey, what feels like a little village in the middle of London. We’re originally from Denmark and have filled the flat with new and old designs mainly from Denmark.

Name: Wade Dooley Location: Jackson Heights — Queens, New York Size: 500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned I’m an actor/writer and self-proclaimed thrifting expert living in Jackson Heights, Queens. I believe that every item in your home should tell a story, and I also believe that you don’t have to drain your bank account to do it.

Name: Brittany Curtis and boyfriend Patrick Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 14 months, renting My home is my dream come true. When I first moved into my apartment building, I was living in a small studio that I loved. My boyfriend, Patrick, came over one day and as he was walking down the hall noticed a sign that read “Unit 200 Please Come In.” He walked through the empty unit and came and got me so I could see it as well.

Name: Audrey Crisp, husband, two boys, and two cats Location: Rancho Mission Viejo, California Size: 2,196 square feet Years lived in: 6 months, owned My husband John and I, plus our two cute little boys (ages 7 and 5) live here. We also have two darling, mischievous kitties who love to get into trouble. Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Modern, bohemian, global, clean lines. How long have you lived here?

Name: Jeff Campbell, husband, Tim, and their chihuahua Halfpipe Location: Lakeview — Chicago, Illinois Size: 800 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting (though they just “moved to Venice Beach so no longer live there.”) Jeff and Tim’s sun-filled one-bedroom in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood is both a place for entertaining friends and a refuge from the bustling city outside.

Name: Mark, and family Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: Less than a year, owned We bought this tiny lot in Los Angeles a couple of years ago and commissioned an architect to design a compact, functional family home. Due to the size of the lot, it made sense to build up, so it’s three floors; ground floor (garage, storage), first floor (kitchen, dining, living, bedroom and bath), second floor, two beds and two baths.

Name: Desiré van den Berg and my younger sister Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands Size: 775 square feet Years lived in: 10 months, renting I got this apartment by pure coincidence: I won a lot draw! The moment I found out, I started looking online for cheap secondhand furniture—a hobby inherited from my mother since I was very young. I’d never had an entire apartment for myself, so I literally still needed to buy all the big basics: a couch, a dining table, chairs, etc.

Name: Rebecca Wood, a potter and owner of R.Wood Studio Ceramics Location: Lexington, Georgia Size: 1,888 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Tired of city life and a small yard, I moved 20 minutes out of town to the historic town of Lexington, and bought an 1865 house on three and a half acres. I made a list of all the things I desired for maximum happiness, then searched the realty sites every day for seven months.

Name: Alessandra Wood, my husband, Brian, and our dog Coco. Location: Design District — San Francisco, California Size: 496 square feet Years lived in: 3.5 years, owned (although my husband has lived here for 10!) I’m Alessandra Wood, Director of Style at Modsy. I have a PhD in design history and wrote my dissertation on the design and merchandising of mid-twentieth-century department stores.

Name: Anam Zohaib of Delicious and DIY, and my husband Location: Los Angeles, California Size: 1,100 square feet Years lived in: 3 months, renting My husband and I recently just moved into this condo, which is a rental. We love the natural light that pours into the space throughout the day, which is a big reason why we moved into this space. I love bright and bold colors and a lot of furniture pieces that I have painted have pops of color and pattern.

Name: T.D. and Lisa Luten and two dogs, Jack and Montana Location: Raleigh, North Carolina Size: 1,900 square feet Years lived in: 13 years, owned After we got married, we moved to Manhattan to pursue our careers. A couple years later, we were homesick. We bought our home over 13 years ago and have been quietly renovating it. Our house is a federal style home with lots of windows.

Name: Gretchen Fewell, my husband, a giant Schnauzer, and a mutt Location: Union, West Virginia Size: 432 square feet Years lived in: Part-time by myself 7 years; full-time with husband 1.5 years, owned My 6’4″ husband, giant Schnauzer, medium-sized mutt, and myself live full time in our tiny 432-square-foot square stacked log cabin. It’s an open floor plan that has all the amenities necessary to function. Yet, allows us to enjoy our stream that runs the length of our 2.

Name: Nicole Thompson, spouse, four kids, two goldendoodles, one cat Location: Spanish Fort, Alabama Size: 3,032 square foot Years lived in: 6 years, owned Our home was a cookie cutter home that we have customized. We wanted to build a custom home but didn’t have the time with two kids and a newborn. We settled on a production built home and over the last six years we’ve transformed almost every space.

Name: Saritha Ashok, husband, and 12-year-old son Location: Leiden, Netherlands Size: 1,507 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting We live in a small town called Leiden in the Netherlands. We are a small family—me, my husband, and our 12-year-old son. They totally support me in my decor adventures and are my biggest cheerleaders. Since ours is a rented space, there are some decorating limitations. But we have been able to work around it.

Name: Kyle L. Quilici, my boyfriend, also named Kyle! Location: San Francisco, California Size: 360 square feet Years lived in: 5 years, renting I moved into this studio five years ago from a listing I found on Craigslist. I was attracted to the cabin-like feel of the wood-beamed ceiling and the brightness from the skylights. It was located in a random part of the city, right in between a few different neighborhoods, but the street itself is a gem—tree-lined and quiet.

Name: Christina Strehlow, husband, two daughters and a dog Location: Österlen, Sweden Size: 2067 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, owned Though it was “love” and “wow” at first sight, we still had many things to do to this house. It wasn’t so nice when we moved in. We have DIYed everything, even building on a new corner of the house. We have really restored this house from the ground-up.

Name: Emilie Hebert, my cat Leo Location: Fort Collins, Colorado Size: 752 square feet Years lived in: 2 months, renting I moved to Colorado to attend graduate school, and hopefully I’ll be here for awhile. I signed on the apartment before I saw it in person! I live here with my tabby Leo, who really loves to look out the windows and eat some of my plants. As soon as I moved in, we painted the walls and cabinets white.

Name: Naimah Jennings, two cats: Teapot and Huey Location: The West End — Alameda, California Size: 370 square feet Years lived in: 1 1/2 years, renting This studio is the first place that I’ve ever lived at on my own without any roommates. I’ve been really happy to create a space for myself that 100 percent reflects my personality.

Name: Katie Carnett and kitties: Tokyo and Suki Location: Bay Ho neighborhood — San Diego, California Size: 250 square feet Years lived in: 1 year, renting This charming little studio was the first place I looked at when hunting for an apartment and as luck had it, I signed my lease that same day. The studio is attached to a private residence with a shared yard that looks out on a view of a canyon. It is so quiet, private, and peaceful.

Name: Karen Martin Location: Brighton neighborhood — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 670 square feet Years lived in: 4 months, renting I live alone in the Brighton neighborhood of Boston in a fourth floor, one-bedroom in a 1930s Art Deco apartment building. I have moved around a lot from Philly to Manhattan to here and lived in seven rentals since graduating from college, but when I viewed this apartment this spring, I had a complete “Aha!” moment and knew it was meant to be.

Name: Irene Kim Coppedge, husband and two kids Location: San Diego, California Size: 3,500 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned Two kids, two adults, two goldfish (Kiwi and Porkchop), and one hamster (Hammy) live in our happy home. We purchased it in 2014 and moved in after a medium-sized renovation. We live in a part of San Diego that is full of wonderful, unique, old homes and it’s hard to find something that is “move-in” ready.

Name: Heather Morgan, husband, three kids (Saige 8, Ivy Mae 4 Judah 1), two cats Location: Davis, California Size: 1,222 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, owned We are a labor and delivery nurse and an engineer-turned-landscape designer making a simple life for our three kids. We live in a small space and both work part-time in an effort to focus on our family life and the needs of our little ones post the birth of our youngest child who is medically complex.

Name: Zahra Clayborne, my cat, Tenny Location: Ottawa — Ontario, Canada Size: 350 square feet Years lived in: 2 years, renting I am a PhD candidate at the University of Ottawa, studying psychiatric epidemiology (that’s a mouthful!). I moved here two years ago from Calgary, and this is my first apartment.

Name: Anne Feldman Location: Columbia Heights — Washington, DC Size: 450 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, renting I live in a one-bedroom apartment in Columbia Heights in Washington D.C.. Most recently, I lived in Columbia, Missouri, where I worked on a campaign. Campaigns are a lot of fun, but it usually means living in an atypical housing situation – in my case that meant a basement apartment that I shared with two other roommates in an off-campus house near Mizzou.

Name: Jan Eliasberg, my daughter Location: Lenox Hill — New York City, N.Y. Size: 1,200 square feet Years lived in: 9 months, owned The “classic six” apartment had great bones, a huge, loft-like living room with southern light and open views of the downtown skyline, but the beauty was obscured by horrible finishes and the worst kind of seventies style: disco wallpaper; a pink formica kitchen; builder’s brick red tiles, and imitation marble linoleum flooring.

Name: Elizabeth Burns Location: Mission Canyon neighborhood — Santa Barbara, California Size: 1,900 square feet Years lived in: 8 years, owned A mid-century modern home was the farthest kind of house from my mind when I began house hunting in Santa Barbara. My husband is bicoastal and so the search for a West Coast home fell on my shoulders. After nine months, I walked into this house and knew it was the one.

Name: Chelly Tavss, my cat Sheridan, and occasionally my canine brother Sunny Location: Athens, Georgia Size: 1,600 square feet Years lived in: 10 months, owned I am a photo archivist, and relocated from Charlotte to Athens a year ago for a position with UGA Libraries. It was difficult leaving my home of five years and all of the friends that I had made, but it allowed me to move closer to family.

Name: Astrid Parenty and my husband, Jack Location: Greenpoint — Brooklyn, NY Size: 700 square feet Years lived in: 3 years, renting My name is Astrid and I’m a 27 year-old art director. I live in my Brooklyn apartment with my husband Jack. The apartment is located on a quiet street in Greenpoint, in between two parks. It’s a railroad apartment featuring an eat-in kitchen, a small living room, a tiny bathroom, and a super spacious bedroom/office.

Name: Nora Crotty and Croissant the Bunny Location: Jamaica Plain — Boston, Massachusetts Size: 486 square feet Years lived in: 9 months, renting I’m a 31-year-old writer who recently moved back to Boston after spending around six years in New York. I’ve shared this apartment with my free-roaming house rabbit, Pillow (who sadly died last spring), and now with my new muppet of a bun, Croissant!

Name: Sarah Beckett, my husband Colin Beckett, Sweet Dee a 6-year-old tabby cat, and Gayle Force Winds, a tabby/bangle mix kitten. As well as 80-ish houseplants (mostly foliage plants). Location: Albany Park — Chicago, Illinois Size: Under 1,000 square feet Years lived in: 1.5 years, owned My husband and I spent many years renting in the Logan Square area of Chicago. When we first moved into that neighborhood it was very different from where it is today.